Positive Wildlife News 2025

Audubon Celebrates Designation of Chuckwalla National Monument as a Major Victory for Birds and Communities

Audubon and a broad coalition of Tribal, community, and conservation organizations led an effort for the protection of more than 620,000 acres of California desert.

The National Audubon Society today celebrated the designation of more than 624,000 acres of California desert as the Chuckwalla National Monument, public lands just south of Joshua Tree National Park in southeast California.

“We are grateful that the administration has heeded the call of thousands of Californians to protect our fragile deserts,” said Dr. Elizabeth Gray, CEO of the National Audubon Society. “This historic designation of the Chuckwalla National Monument not only ensures the preservation of the area’s rich biodiversity but also provides a critical sanctuary in addressing the climate crisis and supports the livelihoods of underserved communities. The expansion of protected areas underscores our commitment to collaborative habitat conservation, emphasizing partnerships with Indigenous peoples and local communities. We deeply appreciate the dedication of the administration and California’s congressional leadership in conserving these irreplaceable lands.”

Audubon Celebrates Designation of Chuckwalla National Monument as a Major Victory for Birds and Communities
 
Wedge Island: For the Birds

We are proud to announce a newly protected island whose significance for birds goes far beyond its small but mighty 4 acres.

Wedge Island is located in St. Margaret’s Bay, near the Troop Island Conservation Lands protected by the Nature Trust in 2012. The Mi’kmaw name for St. Margaret’s Bay is Kjipanu’pek, meaning “great bay that opens out to the sea.” For the sea-going wildlife in this region, the bay offers a degree of shelter and protection and makes the islands it hosts very appealing for a broad range of species – especially birds.

Wedge Island sits within the Grassy Island Complex Important Bird Area (IBA). It is currently home to nesting Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants, and occasionally Common Eiders. Arctic Terns and Common Terns have also been observed near or on Wedge Island. The food, shelter, and nesting grounds it holds make its role as a seabird habitat critically important. In fact, it is so popular with birds – who naturally bring along their inevitable waste – that many nearby locals (humans, that is) refer to it not as “Wedge Island” but as “Stinky Island.”

Nova Scotia Nature Trust – Wedge Island: For the Birds
 
Wolves return to Peloponnese after nearly a century

Wolves have returned to Greece’s Peloponnese, nearly 100 years after disappearing from the region, environmental group Callisto announced.

Using camera traps, the group confirmed the presence of nine wolves—four adults and five pups—in Mount Taygetus, near ancient Sparta, in November 2024. This marks the first scientific proof of wolves in the area since the late 1930s.

The return is seen as a positive sign for biodiversity but it also highlights the need for balancing human activities, like livestock farming, with wildlife conservation. The discovery follows reports of livestock predation in October, prompting Callisto to intensify its research, placing cameras and tracking wolf tracks and feces.

Wolves return to Peloponnese after nearly a century | eKathimerini.com
 
This is relevant to biodiversity conservation as well.

Supreme Court allows Hawaii climate change lawsuit to move forward

The companies appealed after the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that claims for damages could move forward.

The Supreme Court on Monday turned away appeals filed by various oil companies trying to shut down a lawsuit in Hawaii that seeks to hold them accountable for climate change.

The decision means that the municipality of Honolulu can move forward with a closely watched lawsuit against companies, including Sunoco and Shell, that raises claims under Hawaii state law.

Supreme Court allows Hawaii climate change lawsuit to move forward
 
Kokanee salmon recovery partners release record-high number of young fish into Lake Sammamish while new research shows a potentially faster path toward stabilization

As a recovery team coordinated by King County released a record-high number of young salmon into Lake Sammamish, new research shows that the population would recover much sooner if lake conditions improve.

Kokanee salmon recovery partners release record-high number of young fish into Lake Sammamish while new research shows a potentially faster path toward stabilization
 
NFWF Announces $2.2 Million to Benefit Wildlife and Restore Habitat in Central Appalachia

Six grants awarded through Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program will bolster native aquatic, mussel and bird populations.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and partners today announced $2.2 million in grants to reforest legacy mine lands, improve forest habitat management for birds, implement riparian buffers on agricultural lands and restore aquatic connectivity in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The grants will generate $1.9 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $4.1 million.

NFWF Announces $2.2 Million to Benefit Wildlife and Restore Habitat in Central Appalachia
 
Last Remaining Piece Of Unprotected Land At Grand Teton National Park Acquired By Interior

The sale of 640 acres within Grand Teton National Park from the state of Wyoming to the Interior Department was finalized Monday, ensuring permanent protection for the parcel that is key for migratory wildlife and erasing concerns that the property might have been sold for development.

The one-square-mile tract was state school trust land, land intended to generate revenue for Wyoming's Common School Permanent Fund. The purchase price — $100 million — will go into that fund. In return, the permanent conservation of the land maintains essential connectivity for wildlife in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—one of the last remaining, nearly intact temperate ecosystems on the planet.

Last Remaining Piece Of Unprotected Land At Grand Teton National Park Acquired By Interior
 
Officials mark largest land conservation effort in Florence County, South Carolina history

Local and state leaders gathered recently to mark the largest land conservation project in the history of Florence County.

Leaders from Florence County, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Office of Resilience, the South Carolina Conservation Bank, Open Space Institute, Darla Moore Foundation, and Knobloch Family Foundation were joined by Gov. Henry McMaster recently at Odell Venters Landing to celebrate the protection of the Snow’s Island Assemblage — a 7,600-acre land conservation project in Florence County.

Located at the confluence of the scenic Lynches and Great Pee Dee Rivers, the newly protected land includes both the expansive 5,000-acre Snow’s Island and an adjacent 2,600-acre timber tract (River Forks), both acquired by OSI earlier in 2024, according to a news release. Together, the two properties comprise the 7,600-acre “Snow’s Island Assemblage” and represent the largest conservation project in Florence County history, the release stated.

Officials mark largest land conservation effort in Florence County history - Charleston Business
 
Mongolian saiga population reaches 23,215

WWF-Mongolia, in partnership with the Community Conservationists Network for Saiga, has successfully completed its annual monitoring of the saiga population. The assessment, conducted in late October 2024, employed the internationally recognized line transect method to survey the entire saiga range, covering approximately 40,006 square kilometers across 18 soums (districts) in four aimags (provinces) of Mongolia.

The latest estimate reveals a population of 23,215 Mongolian saigas, marking a significant increase from the 15,540 recorded the previous year—a remarkable growth of 49%. Notably, the survey identified 1,660 individuals in three isolated subpopulations within the species’ historical range, a substantial rise compared to just 405 individuals recorded in 2021.

Mongolian saiga population reaches 23,215 | Saiga Conservation Alliance
 
1,329 Rare Snails Once Believed Extinct Reintroduced to Island off Morocco

More than 1,300 critically endangered land snails have been released in the Ilhas Desertas (Desert Islands) archipelago off the Moroccan coast.

The reintroduction of the tiny molluscs to their native habitat followed the rescue of two obscure species of the snail from the edge of extinction, reported The Guardian. The snails hadn’t been recorded for over a century and were thought to have disappeared.

“If it goes as well as we hope, more snails will follow them next spring. It’s a huge team effort which shows that it is possible to turn things around for highly threatened species,” said Gerardo Garcia, curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates at Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom, as the BBC reported.

1,329 Rare Snails Once Believed Extinct Reintroduced to Island off Morocco - EcoWatch
 
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Floodplain Forests at Confluence of Morava and Dyje To Become Protected Landscape Area

The Soutok (Confluence) Protected Landscape Area will be established near the confluence of the Morava and Dyje rivers, as approved yesterday by a government decree and announced by Environment Minister Petr Hladik. The area will be the 27th such area in the country.

The area of almost 120 square kilometres in southern Moravia is one of the largest floodplain forests in Central Europe. It is already part of the Natura 2000 system and the Lower Morava Biosphere Reserve.

The Environment Ministry stresses that the declaration of the protected landscape area (CHKO) will ensure a greater protection of natural and cultural values, without adversely affecting the economic use of the area.

The costs of managing the new protected area are expected to amount to CZK 7.8 million per year, said Hladik (KDU-CSL).

He said that the unique nature in this area is known as Moravian Amazonia.

Some locals are against the establishment of the protected landscape area, which will extend over the territory of 20 municipalities. Some landowners fear restrictions on economic activity and procedural complications.

The Environment Ministry said that there have been restrictions in the area for some time because the area is part of Natura 2000, and so the protected landscape area will have only minimum impact on economic activity.

Floodplain Forests at Confluence of Morava and Dyje To Become Protected Landscape Area – Brno Daily
 
Massachusetts beaches hit record-high for piping plovers: 'A species recovering at an encouraging rate'

Piping plovers are continuing their comeback story.

Massachusetts beaches for the second straight year saw more nesting piping plovers than at any time in the last four decades, according to Mass Audubon and preliminary data from MassWildlife's Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program.

There were 1,196 nesting pairs counted—a 1.5% increase over last year and a whopping 500% spike since the program began four decades ago.

Mass Audubon since 1986 has led the Coastal Waterbird Program (CWP)—a collaborative effort with federal, state, and local agencies that monitors, protects, and engages in conservation research regarding vulnerable beach-nesting birds.

Back in 1986, there were fewer than 200 breeding pairs of piping plovers in the state.

While piping plovers remain a threatened species on both the federal and Massachusetts endangered species lists, data over the last several years shows that these birds are making progress toward recovery in Massachusetts.

Mass Audubon's CWP protected 379 piping plover pairs this year, which represents nearly one-third of the state's population and 17% of the total Atlantic Coast population.

Plovers at CWP-protected sites produced 1.24 fledglings per pair in 2024—essentially unchanged from the 1.25 chicks in 2023, reaching what is considered a sustainable reproductive rate two years in a row.

Massachusetts beaches hit record-high for piping plovers: 'A species recovering at an encouraging rate'
 
For the first time since the Pharaoh's era (!?), a Spotted Hyaena has been seen in Egypt !
Wildest Africa on Instagram: "The spotted hyena has been recorded in Egypt for the first time in more than 5,000 years. #wildestafrica For centuries, the species was thought to be confined to sub-Saharan Africa, with no verifiable records of its presence in Egypt. Occasional reports hinted at their existence, but none were confirmed—until now. Local pastoralists near the Sudanese border reported a hyena after it killed two of their goats. “My first reaction was disbelief until I checked the photos and videos of the remains. Seeing the evidence, I was completely taken aback. It was beyond anything we had expected to find in Egypt,” said Dr. Abdullah Nagy, lead author of the study from Al Azhar University. This solitary individual marks a significant expansion of the species’ known range. Researchers believe climate change could be a contributing factor, with increased rainfall and vegetation growth from the Active Red Sea Trough potentially creating temporary corridors for the hyena to travel northward. The rediscovery raises critical questions about the species’ movement patterns, the environmental factors driving its migration, and the potential for further incursions into Egypt. TRAVEL • ADVENTURE • WILDLIFE • CULTURE #africa #wildlife #hyena #egypt"
 
Nature reserve built with help of soil from Crossrail scheme is to expand

Conservationists at RSPB Wallasea Island in Essex will create a six-hectare lagoon on newly purchased land.

A marshland nature reserve built with the help of more than three million tonnes of soil from the Crossrail scheme is to be expanded.

RSPB Wallasea Island, in Essex, includes vast amounts of material excavated during the construction of tunnels beneath London for the Elizabeth Line.

Nature reserve built with help of soil from Crossrail scheme is to expand
 
Kazakhstan Increases Water Levels in North Aral Sea by 42%

Kazakhstan’s efforts to restore the North Aral Sea have yielded significant results, with the water volume increasing by 42% to 27 billion cubic meters. The salinity of the sea has decreased nearly fourfold, and annual fish catches have risen to 8,000 tons. These achievements were highlighted by Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov during a meeting with residents of the Aral district in the Kyzylorda region on January 13.

Kazakhstan Increases Water Levels in North Aral Sea by 42% - The Times Of Central Asia
 
Officials Welcome First Wild Bison in 10,000 Years After Major Restoration Initiative

Non-profit conservationist group Rewilding Europe has announced the successful release of eight European bison at the Herdade do Vale Feitoso Estate in the Castelo Branco District of eastern Portugal. This marks the first time in 10,000 years that wild bison have roamed this region.

Officials Welcome First Wild Bison in 10,000 Years After Major Restoration Initiative
 
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